Y'know, for a lesbian, I'm far too easily impressed by phallic objects. We were off to Ancient Salamis which I wanted to see because it has columns. I'm weirdly attracted to columns. Columns are one of those things that make me praise the joys of digital photography because I can't stop taking photos of them. It doesn't matter how many photos I take of columns, I always leave thinking that I may have missed an angle. Clearly it's worth noting that columns tend to look the fucking same, no matter what angle you look at them from.
But anyway. We made it to Ancient Salamis with Loody navigating because I wouldn't be able to find the way from my arse to my elbow without full instructions and a GPS system. Thank fuck I was with people that could read maps. I mean, the Turks are awesome, they really are. If you stop for a minute looking even a little bit confused someone will ask you if you need help so I reckon my resting face must be one of absolute confusion because when I walked over to the north in Nicosia one time, I was inundated with offers of help whether I needed it or not. It's not my fault. Sometimes I try smiling but this just seems to freak people out even more, they wonder why the pierced chick is baring her teeth at them.
Omg can I not get through a whole post without any kind of digression?
Let's talk about these ruins. Judging by the steel re-enforcements around the base of the columns I'd say that the columns all fell down, more than likely when Arab raiders ransacked the city in 647. Like, they totally fucked it. Salamis dates back to around the same time as Kourian and had been added to by the Romans when they rocked up, you can see the remains of the baths. When the Arabs attacked Cyprus and sacked many cities, Salamis never got over it. Today, with the columns that may or may not be originals standing tall again, it makes an attractive ruin.
One thing you do notice is the fact that the statues (which are all fakes, the originals are off somewhere else being protected and shit) have no faces and in some cases the heads have been completely removed. I listened into a tour whose guide was telling them that this could be because of Arab raiders trashing the place, earthquakes, sculptors nicking off with them to save on the money needed to carve faces or something about Christians deciding that they were pagan idols and would therefore look better sans facial features. Keeping your options open then, mate?
Meanwhile, Shups was getting the lowdown on the toilets which were basically a trough which I guess would have had water flowing through it. Romans didn't like to wipe their own arses so they got slaves to do it with sponges. Nice. See, when I take over the world, I would still like to wipe my own arse thankyouverymuch. I don't know what it is but y'know, some things a girl just has to do for herself. Apparently this is also where the saying "the walls have ears" comes from. Slaves who were on standby with the sponges would listen in to the idle chit chat of the important people and sell any useful information on and to be fair, when you're wiping arses and not getting paid for it, you'd pretty much sell anything on to make an extra buck.
This tradition has been carried on throughout the ages but these days people tend to stick to selling photos of naked celebrities snorting cocaine off hookers' tits to The Sun. Yeah, same difference.
Columns And Columns And Columns
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Ancient Salamis, Famagusta, Cyprus
Other Entries
-
1Great Place To Visit, Not So Fun To Live There
May 15128 days priorΞυλοφάγου, Cyprusphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 0 -
2It's Gonna Get HOW Hot??
Jun 1597 days priorΞυλοφάγου, Cyprusphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0 -
3Diving; Not Gonna Get You Laid
Jun 2389 days priorΛάρνακα, Cyprusphoto_camera24videocam 0comment 0 -
4When I Say Ayia, You Say Napa
Jul 0379 days priorΑγία Νάπα, Cyprusphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
5The Bigger Picture
Jul 1369 days priorMαρί, Cyprusphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
6The British Vs The Meze
Aug 0645 days priorΠρωταράς, Cyprusphoto_camera6videocam 0comment 0 -
7It's Not Just About The Beaches
Sep 0416 days priorΤροόδους, Cyprusphoto_camera63videocam 1comment 2 -
8So There IS A Point To Cyprus
Sep 119 days priorKonnos Beach, Cyprusphoto_camera12videocam 1comment 0 -
9It's Not Just Old, It's Ancient
Sep 182 days priorAncient Kourion, Cyprusphoto_camera86videocam 0comment 4 -
10Over To The Dark Side
Sep 20earlier that dayFamagusta, Cyprusphoto_camera31videocam 0comment 0 -
11Columns And Columns And Columns
Sep 20Ancient Salamis, Cyprusphoto_camera33videocam 0comment 2 -
12Food, Drink, Beaches And... Erm... Men?
Sep 20later that dayKırpaşa Peninsula, Cyprusphoto_camera28videocam 0comment 3 -
13When Mornings Are Bearable
Sep 20later that dayKantara Castle, Cyprusphoto_camera23videocam 1comment 2 -
14What's In A Name?
Sep 211 day laterNicosia, Cyprusphoto_camera28videocam 0comment 0 -
15Waistlines Are Overrated
Oct 0919 days laterΞυλοφάγου, Cyprusphoto_camera7videocam 0comment 0 -
161974
Oct 2636 days laterΞυλοφάγου, Cyprusphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
17That's That, Then
Nov 1455 days laterΞυλοφάγου, Cyprusphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 4
Comments

2025-02-18
Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank
crittersandcrayons
2011-10-29
I have no idea how you can travel so much but I think it is great! Never been to Cyprus....thanks for the photos!
travelnshit
2011-10-29
Dedication to the cause, m'dear. I don't have a mortgage or kids or debts or any of those other horrific things that syphon one's disposable income. I never have the urge to buy a new sofa, or matching salt and pepper shakers. Ikea is not my mecca and I don't smoke crack. All that money people spend on clothes and nice food and things that make them happy? I spend my money on what makes me happy. And that's travel :)